Go to trial court for relief, SC tells Vectra chief Rishi

The Supreme Court Wednesday asked Ravinder Rishi, chief of Vectra company, to approach the trial court for quashing a lookout notice issued by the CBI against him for his role in alleged lapses in a defence truck deal.

He is facing charges of irregularities in the supply of Tatra trucks to BEML, which gave the vehicles to the army.

Go before the trial court for "appropriate relief", the apex court bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice J. Chelameswar told senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi who had appeared for Rishi.

Rishi had moved the apex court seeking its nod to go to Britain for treatment.

Additional Solicitor General Siddharth Luthra, who appeared for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), told the court that there were apprehensions that if allowed to go abroad then he may not come back.

Pleading for the grant of permission, Rohtagi told the court that Rishi was co-operating with the investigating agency.

The senior counsel told the court that Vectra chief has not been arrested by the investigating agency so far and he could not be restrained from going abroad for his treatment.

Another senior counsel Ranjit Kumar, who appeared for Rishi, told the court that though his client was under the lens for alleged irregularities in the supply of Tatra truck by Vectra to the BEML, a fresh order was placed May 30 for supply of more trucks.

Former army chief V.K. Singh alleged March 26 that a retired lieutenant-general offered him a bribe of Rs.14 crore to clear the purchase of 600 'substandard' all-terrain Czech vehicles (Tatra trucks).